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The Super Fights Of The Last 40 Years: Part Three
In Part Three, I'll provide thoughts and insight on Hagler-Leonard, Tyson-Spinks, Tyson-Holyfield I, Holyfield-Tyson II, De La Hoya-Trinidad, Tyson-Lewis and De La Hoya-Mayweather.
In 1987 Sugar Ray Leonard scored the signature win of his career over undisputed middleweight champ Marvin Hagler. Shortly after that Mike Tyson took the baton from Leonard and became boxing's biggest star and draw through the early 1990's.
Oscar De La Hoya became boxing's poster child after Tyson and carried the torch and handed it off to both Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao.
As of 2014 boxing isn't as mainstream as it was during the eras of Ali, Leonard, Tyson and De La Hoya. Today there's only one fight that could be realized that would mostly like be added to this list down the road and that's Mayweather vs. Pacquiao. It's been five years in the making and is at least three years past it's “sell-by-date.” That said, I believe it will eventually come to fruition.
Marvin Hagler vs. Sugar Ray Leonard (April 6, 1987) When it comes to anticipation, the only fight that captured my interest more than Hagler-Leonard was the first meeting between Ali-Frazier.
Leonard 33-1 (24) hadn't fought since May of 1984 when he had to get off the deck to stop Kevin Howard. At that time Hagler 62-2-2 (52) had totally cleaned out the middleweight division, and aside from fighting Leonard, he had nothing left to conquer or prove. These two had been on a collision course since they both fought for the middleweight and welterweight titles on November 30, 1979.
On that night Hagler fought middleweight champ Vito Antuofermo to a draw, despite everyone who watched it thinking he won the fight going away. An hour later Leonard stopped Wilfred Benitez in the same ring to win the WBC welterweight title. This would be Hagler's 13th defense of his middleweight title and Leonard's first fight at middleweight. Leonard agreed to let have Hagler have a larger share of the purse, but Hagler consented to let Leonard chose the gloves (10 oz Reyes), along with limiting the fights distance to 12 rounds and the ring to be 20 feet.
ODDS: On the day of the fight Hagler was between a 3/4 – 1 favorite.
Pre-fight Thoughts: I had always thought that Leonard had the style to deal with Hagler, and I didn't believe Marvin had a big enough punch to knock Leonard out. Therefore if they ever fought the fight would go the distance and favor Leonard. In his fight before meeting Leonard, Hagler won a war with John “The Beast” Mugabi, stopping him in the 11th round. Leonard was sitting ringside that night and saw Hagler eat more big shots than he ever did in any other fight. Leonard saw the time was right and issued the challenge to Hagler, fully aware that Marvin couldn't decline the money and stature that beating Ray would bring him. Sensing that Leonard knew something that nobody else did, along with believing he had the style edge, I was sure Leonard would beat Hagler if he didn't get knocked out. Since I didn't think Leonard was going to be knocked out and knew he kept training weekly during his retirement, I bet a bunch of money on Leonard to win and got 4-1 odds.
Result: A minute into the first round it was obvious that Hagler was having trouble dealing with Leonard's hand speed and movement. Leonard clearly won the first three rounds of the fight without ever being touched. Hagler won five of the next nine rounds. There were times during the bout that Leonard made Hagler look like an amateur and he even managed to win more than a few exchanges when they went at. But Hagler kept forcing the fight and after 12 rounds it was close. The officials scored it 118-110, 115-113 and 113-115 for Leonard. The AP saw it 117-112 Hagler, Harold Lederman of HBO had it 115-113 Leonard. Ring Magazine saw it 115-113 Leonard and the NYTimes, NY Post and Washington Post scored it 114-114……..I had it 115-113 Leonard. 27 years later fans are still arguing over who really won the fight and every time I've watched it since that night, it gets closer and closer.
Mike Tyson vs. Michael Spinks (June 27, 1988) I never considered Tyson-Spinks a Super Fight, but the know-nothings about fights and fighters media did. The only intrigue in this fight was both Tyson 34-0 (30) and Spinks 31-0 (21) were undefeated and one was a fighter (Tyson) and the other was a boxer (Spinks). That and Spinks ended Larry Holmes' seven year title reign via two close and controversial decisions. Some in the media tried to sell Tyson-Spinks as being the Ali-Frazier of the eighties, which was as Mike Tyson used to say, preposterous. Tyson was at his peak at this time and the desire for him to be part of a big fight was growing. He was clearly the best heavyweight in the world and was the biggest star in the heavyweight division since Muhammad Ali.
Spinks made his mark as being a great light heavyweight and with no one to fight in the division he moved up to heavyweight. Before facing Tyson he stopped a rusty Gerry Cooney, who only fought three times in five years after losing to Homes. This was a manufactured Super Fight because Tyson was a huge star and Spinks fit the role as the perfect foil. At that time Tyson held all the title belts, but Spinks was seen as the lineal champ, which really meant nothing at the time. The biggest reason the fight was made was to insure that there was no doubt as to who the heavyweight champion really was, even though everyone really knew.
ODDS: On the day of the fight Tyson was a 4-1 favorite.
Pre-fight Thoughts: I had no doubt in my mind that Tyson was going to stop Spinks in the first round. For starters, Spinks wasn't a legitimate heavyweight and swarmers bothered him more than any other style. At that time Tyson was the greatest swarmer in boxing and had no fear of Spinks' power – and he knew he was too strong and that Spinks wasn't going to be able to move and box him. I saw Tyson-Spinks as being a replica of Frazier-Foster eighteen years earlier. But since Mike started off faster than Joe did, I was certain he'd get rid of Michael inside the first round instead of the two that Frazier needed to nearly decapitate Foster.
Result: Spinks came out as if to say I know I have no chance to beat you if I try to run and attempt to out-box you, so let's just get it over with. Tyson dropped Spinks to his knee with a body shot a minute into the fight. He then knocked him out with the first big shot he landed after Michael got up. In total the bout lasted just 91 seconds.
Mike Tyson Tyson vs. Evander Holyfield (November 9, 1996) Tyson 45-1 (39) and Holyfield 32-3 (23) had been on a collision course since they first sparred at the Olympic trials in 1984. It was reported back then that the gym wars between Tyson and Holyfield were a toss up, with neither ever really besting the other. For most of Tyson's first title run, Holyfield, the undisputed cruiserweight champ, was the fighter he was always asked about fighting. However, it didn't become a big deal until Buster Douglas knocked out Tyson to win the title in February of 1990, then lost it eight months later when he was knocked out by Holyfield.
Tyson and Holyfield were first signed to fight in November of 1991, but Tyson hurt his rib training for the fight and the bout was canceled. Shortly afterwards Tyson was convicted of rape and went to jail for three years. In November of 1996 Holyfield was coming off his worst two showings as a pro versus Riddick Bowe and Bobby Czyz. His performance was so bad that the Nevada commission demanded that Evander be cleared medically before they'd sanction the fight. Holyfield passed their test and the fight was made.
ODDS: On the day of the fight Tyson was a 6-1 favorite.
Pre-fight Thoughts: Had the fight in 1991 been realized, I was absolute in my thinking that Holyfield had the skill, chin and toughness to be Mike's stumbling block and would stop him. However, in November of 1995, Holyfield was stopped by Riddick Bowe in their third fight and looked awful in stopping Bobby Czyz in his last fight before facing Tyson. Even though I always believed Holyfield had Tyson's number psychologically and the physical assets needed to beat him, I didn't think the relic who'd showed up as in his last two fights in November of 1995 and May of 1996 could beat the once-beaten Tyson who knocked out Bruce Seldon in the first round of his last fight. Against this version of Holyfield, I didn't think it was much more than a formality that Tyson would stop a game Holyfield at this stage of his career.
Result: Evander came right out in the first round and showed Mike he wasn't the least bit awed by him. Holyfield out thought, out fought and out muscled Tyson from the onset. In the sixth round he dropped Mike with a left hook to the chest. Tyson got up but slowly but surely the fight began slipping away from him as Holyfield was bettering him at every turn.
At the end of the 10th round Tyson was out on his feet. In the eleventh round Holyfield picked up where he left off in the tenth and started battering Tyson again, which led to referee Mitch Halpren stopping the fight less than a minute into the 11th round. At the time of the stoppage Holyfield led on all three judges scorecards 96-92, 100-93 and 96-92.
Evander Holyfield vs. Mike Tyson II (June 28, 1997) Due to Holyfield's upset in the first fight the rematch was a natural.
It was easy to sell because Tyson 45-2 (39) claimed he took Holyfield 33-3 (24) lightly the first time due to how he looked in his previous two bouts and the public and media bought it.
This was a huge fight for Tyson being that he never got a chance to avenge his first loss as a pro to Buster Douglas. That changed because this time he knew Holyfield wasn't a walking corpse and he'd have to be at his best. Both fighters also knew that whoever won this fight would be regarded as the greater fighter in the eyes of history. Holyfield was four months shy of turning 35 and Tyson was two days short of turning 31 when they met this time. At the last moment, at the request of team Tyson, referee Mills Lane was brought in as a replacement to work the fight due to Tyson's complaints about how referee Mitch Halpren handled Holyfield's rough housing during the first fight.
ODDS: Despite losing the first fight Tyson was a 2-1 favorite in the rematch. For this fight a poll by the Las Vegas Review Journal had the media favoring Holyfield 39-23-2.
Pre-fight Thoughts: Seeing that Holyfield really got up to fight Tyson, and that he walked through his biggest punches during the first bout, I was pretty confident that unless Mike got lucky in the first two rounds, Holyfield would stop him again only it wouldn't take 11 rounds. I didn't believe Tyson could recover psychologically from the beating he endured in the first fight. Tyson knew that Holyfield could and would stand up to him and I felt that shook Tyson's confidence and Mike knew the longer the fight lasted the less likely his chances were to win it.
I thought he would really be dangerous in the first two rounds, but as long as Evander could survive the early tornado, which I felt that he would, I was positive he'd stop Mike again.
Result: Holyfield again came out strong and backed Tyson up and was handling Mike when he was at his most dangerous in a fight. Tyson complained about Holyfield head butting him, but they didn't look intentional and Lane let it go. Tyson came out of his corner for the third round without his mouth-piece, Lane made him put it in. Tyson began the round in a fury, but Holyfield was no worse for it. With forty seconds left in the round, Tyson bit Holyfield on his right ear and Holyfield jumped up and down in pain. Lane deducted two points from Tyson and after restoring order the fight resumed. Then in the next clinch Tyson bit Holyfield's other ear and was immediately disqualified. For the record Holyfield retained the title via a third round DQ victory.
Oscar De La Hoya vs. Felix Trinidad (September 18, 1999) This was a fight for the WBC/IBF welterweight championship. It was the last Super Fight of the twentieth century and the most eagerly anticipated welterweight title bout since the first Leonard-Hearns fight 18 years earlier.
De La Hoya 31-0 (26) and Trinidad 35-0 (30) cleaned out the welterweight division and had been on a collision course since Oscar started campaigning in the division in 1997. The style clash featured a boxer-counter puncher (De La Hoya) and a hard hitting attacker (Trinidad). The bout was similar to Leonard-Hearns in terms of anticipation, hype, and purses as well as their personalities and skill. De La Hoya had the star quality of a Leonard, whose appeal and draw crossed every demographic.
Trinidad was reminiscent of Hearns in that he saw himself playing second fiddle to to De La Hoya's popularity and was somewhat bitter because he felt that he never was given his due as a fighter outside his native Puerto Rico. Also like Hearns, Trinidad felt that he had something to prove and was fueled by that. De La Hoya like Leonard, knew Trinidad would be at his best for him because everybody he fought rose to the occasion and really raised their game trying to beat him.
ODDS: On the day of the fight De La Hoya was -135 and Trinidad was -105
Pre-fight Thoughts: At the time I thought De La Hoya was the more complete and durable fighter. Trinidad went down early in fights, even though he always came back to win, and that scared me against De La Hoya. Even though Trinidad was seen as the puncher in the fight, for some reason I thought De La Hoya's ability to put his punches together better and quicker would bother Trinidad more than Felix's power would effect Oscar.
I thought Oscar could win the fight by either moving and boxing or if he was forced to, I felt he could also gain the advantage if he was forced to fight it out with Trinidad. Prior to the bout I really thought Oscar was going to beat Felix up and possibly stop him. I thought he'd control Trinidad with his jab and then go in and finish him later in the fight once he had him softened up.
Result: For the first seven of nine rounds, De La Hoya never boxed better or smarter. He had Trinidad following him all over the ring and looked as if he was stuck in the mud. It was shocking how easy De La Hoya was picking his spots and flurrying and then getting out before Trinidad could get set and fire back with authority. But starting in the ninth round he slowed down noticeably. His corner told him that he had the fight won and could only lose if he got careless and knocked out. From rounds 10 through 12 De La Hoya wouldn't engage with Trinidad and tried to run out the clock. Trinidad picked it up and forced De La Hoya all over the ring. Yes, he won the last three rounds but didn't land anything of consequence. The feeling when the bell rang to end the fight was despite losing the last three rounds, De La Hoya won. However, the decision went to Trinidad via a majority decision 115-113, 115-114 and 114-114. The AP scored it 115-113 De La Hoya and HBO's Harold Letterman had it 114-114……..I had it 115-113 De La Hoya.
Mike Tyson vs. Lennox Lewis (June 8, 2002) Lewis 39-2-1 (30) had been hunting Tyson 49-3 (43) since he turned pro in 1989. He always said Tyson was the fighter to beat if you want to be recognized as the champ. At that time, Tyson was three weeks shy of his 36th birthday and hadn't lost since the Holyfield rematch five years earlier. He was also in and out of the ring fighting no more than twice a year versus journeymen since the last fight with Holyfield.
Lewis was fighting no less than twice a year and fought Evander Holyfield twice in 1999, getting a draw that he should've been credited for a win, and then earned a unanimous decision when they met the second time. Lewis was the fighter to beat in the heavyweight division at the time and Tyson knew that if he could beat him his career wasn't over. On the other hand Lewis had accomplished everything he set out to do as a fighter except fight and beat Mike Tyson.
ODDS: On the day of the fight Lewis was a 2-1 favorite.
Pre-fight Thoughts: Tyson hadn't looked that terrific in his previous bouts with Brian Neilson and Andrew Golota, although he stopped them both. But the Golota fight was overturned to a no contest when Tyson tested positive for marijuana in the post fight physical. But Lewis had been knocked out with one punch by Hasim Rahman two fights before facing Tyson. Lennox knocked Rahman out in the rematch but I didn't trust his chin against Tyson. I figured that Tyson was faster, hit harder and was a better boxer than Rahman, if he catches Lewis he'll put him to sleep.
So I went on record picking Tyson to beat Lewis.
Result: The first round was terrific with both fighters landing some good shots on the other, but Tyson got the better of it. From the second round on Lewis systematically took Tyson apart from the outside preventing Mike from getting inside to where he could be most effective. Lewis landed the harder and cleaner punches through the seventh round. In round eight Lewis dropped Tyson twice, the second time with a big right hand. Tyson was decisively counted out and his career as a legitimate title challenger ended then and there.
Oscar De La Hoya vs. Floyd Mayweather (May 5, 2007) This was the fight that turned Mayweather into a transcendent star.
De La Hoya represented the best known fighter of Mayweather's career and in spite of Floyd being undefeated, he lacked a signature win and payday. To add drama to the fight, Mayweather's father Floyd Sr. was training Oscar at the time. However, they had a falling out over money and Floyd Sr. didn't work with either fighter for this bout. De La Hoya brought in Freddie Roach and Mayweather, as he had been in the past, was trained by his uncle Roger. The fight was for De La Hoya's WBC junior middleweight title.
This was the fight that HBO introduced it's 24/7 four part pre fight exclusive, which helped build the interest in the bout.
De La Hoya-Mayweather also had a record for 2.4 million PPV buys with De La Hoya earning a reported 52 million dollars and Mayweather banking 25 million dollars.
ODDS: Mayweather opened as a 2-1 favorite but a ton of sentimental money poured in on Oscar and by the day of the fight De La Hoya was a 3-2 favorite.
Pre-fight Thoughts: De La Hoya prior to fighting Mayweather had one fight, against Ricardo Mayorga, after being stopped by middleweight champ Bernard Hopkins back in 2004. And in his last five bouts before taking on Mayweather, Oscar was just 3-2.
In truth Oscar hadn't looked impressive in five years since stopping Fernando Vargas in 2002. Prior to fighting De La Hoya, Mayweather looked sharp beating Zab Judah and Carlos Baldomir over the last year.
At the time of the fight De La Hoya was getting by on his name and Mayweather was starting to mature and fill out physically. I knew Floyd couldn't hurt or stop Oscar, but he wouldn't have to because he'd be a little too quick and sharp for him and it looked like a short bet for Mayweather to win a comfortable decision.
Result: The fight was actually more competitive than what most believed it would be. In the early going De La Hoya was controlling Mayweather with his jab. De La Hoya was the aggressor throughout the fight and in the early going Mayweather wasn't very effective with his counter-punching. However, Oscar started to fade as Mayweather predicted before the fight that he would. Floyd made some adjustments and starting beating Oscar to the punch.
Basically Mayweather was just a tad quicker and better defensively and that was the difference. Two judges scored four of the last five rounds for Mayweather resulting in what would be the deciding factor in a very close fight. When it was over Mayweather pulled it out via a 12-round split decision 116-112, 115-113 and 113-115. The AP scored it for Mayweather 116-112.
Ironically Mayweather's father said after the fight, “I thought Oscar won the fight on points, threw more punches and was more aggressive. My son had good defense and caught a lot of his punches, but I still thought Oscar pressed enough to win the fight.”
Frank Lotierzo can be contacted at GlovedFist@Gmail.com
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Women’s Prizefighting Year End Review: The Best of the Best in 2024
Women’s Prizefighting Year End Review: The Best of the Best in 2024
It’s the end of the year.
Here are our awards for the best in women’s boxing. But first, a rundown on the state of the sport.
Maybe its my imagination but it seems that fewer female fights of magnitude took place in 2024 than in previous years.
A few promoters like 360 Promotions increased their involvement in women’s boxing while others such as Matchroom Boxing and Golden Boy Promotions seem stagnant. They are still staging female bouts but are not signing new additions.
American-based promotion company Top Rank, actually lost 50 percent of their female fighter roster when Seniesa Estrada, the undisputed minimumweight champion, retired recently. They still have Mikaela Mayer.
A promotion company making headlines and creating sparks in the boxing world is Most Valuable Promotions led by Jake Paul and Nakisa Bidarian. They signed Amanda Serrano and have invested in staging other female fights
This year, the top streaming company Netflix gambled on sponsoring Jake Paul versus Mike Tyson, along with Amanda Serrano versus Katie Taylor and hit a monster home run. According to Netflix metrics an estimated 74 million viewers watched the event that took place on Nov. 16 at Arlington, Texas.
“Breaking records like this is exactly what MVP was built to do – bring the biggest, most electrifying events to fans worldwide,” said Nakisa Bidarian co-founder of MVP.
History was made in viewership and at the gate where more than 70,000 fans packed AT&T Stadium for a record-setting $17.8 million in ticket sales outside of Las Vegas. It was the grand finale moment of the year.
Here are the major contributors to women’s boxing in 2024.
Fighter of the Year: Amanda Serrano
Other candidates: Katie Taylor, Claressa Shields, Franchon Crews, Dina Thorslund, and Yesica Nery Plata.
Amanda Serrano was chosen for not only taking part in the most viewed female title fight in history, but also for willingly sacrificing the health of her eye after suffering a massive cut during her brutal war with Taylor. She could have quit, walked away with tons of money and be given the technical decision after four rounds. She was ahead on the scorecards at that moment.
Instead, Serrano took more punches, more head butts and slugged her way through 10 magnificent and brilliant rounds against the great Taylor. Fans worldwide were captivated by their performance. Many women who had never watched a female fight were mesmerized and inspired.
Serrano once again proved that she would die in the ring rather than quit. Women and men were awed by her performance and grit. It was a moment blazed in the memories of millions.
Amanda Serrano is the Fighter of the Year.
Best Fight of the Year – Amanda Serrano versus Katie Taylor 2
Their first fight that took place two years ago in Madison Square Garden was the greatest female fight I had ever witnessed. The second fight surpassed it.
When you have two of the best warriors in the world willing to showcase their talent for entertainment regardless of the outcome, it’s like rubbing two sticks of dynamite together.
Serrano jumped on Taylor immediately and for about 20 seconds it looked like the Irish fighter would not make the end of the first round. Not quite. Taylor rallied behind her stubborn determination and pulled out every tool in her possession: elbows, head butts, low blows, whatever was needed to survive, Taylor used.
It reminded me of an old world title fight in 2005 between Jose Luis Castillo a master of fighting dirty and Julio Diaz. I asked about the dirty tactics by Castillo and Diaz simply said, “It’s a fight. It’s not chess. You do what you have to do.”
Taylor did what she had to do to win and the world saw a magnificent fight.
Other candidates: Seniesa Estrada versus Yokasta Valle, Mikaela Mayer versus Sandy Ryan, and Ginny Fuchs vs Adelaida Ruiz.
KO of the Year – Lauren Price KO3 Bexcy Mateus.
Dec. 14, in Liverpool, England.
The IBO welterweight titlist lowered the boom on Bexcy Mateus sending her to the floor thrice. She ended the fight with a one-two combination that left Mateus frozen while standing along the ropes. Another left cross rocket blasted her to the ground. Devastating.
Other candidates: Claressa Shields KO of Vanessa LePage-Joanisse, Gabriela Fundora KO of Gabriela Alaniz, Dina Thorslund vs Mary Romero, Amanda Serrano KO of Stevie Morgan.
Pro’s Pro Award – Jessica Camara
Jessica Camara defeated Hyun Mi Choi in South Korea to win the WBA gold title on April 27, 2024. The match took place in Suwon where Canada’s Camara defeated Choi by split decision after 10 rounds.
Camara, who is managed by Brian Cohen, has fought numerous champions including Kali Reis, Heather Hardy and Melissa St. Vil. She has become a pro fighter that you know will be involved in a good and entertaining fight and is always in search of elite competition. She eagerly accepted the fight in South Korea against Choi. Few fighters are willing to do that.
Next up for Camara is WBC titlist Caroline Dubois set for Jan. 11, in Sheffield, England.
Electric Fighters Club
These are women who never fail to provide excitement and drama when they step in the prize ring. When you only have two-minute rounds there’s no time to run around the boxing ring.
Here are some of the fighters that take advantage of every second and they do it with skill:
Gabriela Fundora, Mizuki Hiruta, Ellie Scotney, Lauren Price, Clara Lescurat, Adelaida Ruiz, Ginny Fuchs, Mikaela Mayer, Yokasta Valle, Sandy Ryan, Chantelle Cameron, Ebanie Bridges, Tsunami Tenkai, Dina Thorslund, Evelin Bermudez, Gabriela Alaniz, Caroline Dubois, Beatriz Ferreira, and LeAnna Cruz.
Claressa Shields Movie and More
A motion picture based on Claressa Shields titled “The Fire Inside” debuts on Wednesday, Dec. 25, nationwide. Most boxing fans know that Shields has world titles in various weight divisions. But they don’t know about her childhood and how she rose to fame.
Also, Shields (15-0, 3 KOs) will be fighting Danielle Perkins (5-0, 2 KOs) for the undisputed heavyweight world championship on Sunday Feb. 2, at Dort Financial Center in Flint, Michigan. DAZN will stream the Salita Promotions fight card.
“Claressa Shields is shining a spotlight on Flint – first on the big screen and then in the ring on Sunday, February 2,” said event promoter Dmitriy Salita, president of Salita Promotions. “Claressa leads by example. She is a trailblazer and has been an advocate for equality since she was a young lady. This event promises to be one of the most significant sporting and cultural events of the year. You don’t want to miss it, either live, in person or live on DAZN.”
Shields is only 29 years old and turns 30 next March. What more can she accomplish?
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Lucas Bahdi Forged the TSS 2024 Knockout of the Year
A Knockout of the Year doesn’t have to be a one-punch knockout, but it must arrive with the suddenness of a thunderclap on a clear day and the punch or punches must be so harsh as to obviate the need for a “10-count.” And, if rendered by an underdog, that makes the KO resonate more loudly.
Within these parameters, Lucas Bahdi’s knockout of Ashton “H2O” Sylva still jumped off the page. The thunderclap happened on July 20 in Tampa, Florida, on a show promoted by Jake Paul with Paul and the great Amanda Serrano sharing the bill against soft opponents in the featured bouts.
The 30-year-old Bahdi (16-0, 14 KOs) and the 20-year-old Sylva (11-0, 9 KOs) were both undefeated, but Bahdi was accorded scant chance of defeating Jake Paul’s house fighter.
Sylva was 18 years old and had seven pro fights under his belt, winning all inside the distance, when he signed with Paul’s company, Most Valuable Promotions, in 2022. “We believe that Ashton has that talent, that flashiness, that style, that knockout power, that charisma to really be a massive, massive, superstar…” said the “Problem Child” when announcing that Sylva had signed with his company.
Jake Paul was so confident that his protege would accomplish big things that he matched Sylva with Floyd “Kid Austin” Schofield. Currently 18-0 and ranked #2 by the WBA, Schofield was further along than Sylva in the pantheon of hot lightweight prospects. But Schofield backed out, alleging an injury, opening the door to a substitute.
Enter Lucas Bahdi who despite his eye-catching record was a virtual unknown. This would be his first outing on U.S. soil. All of his previous bouts were staged in Mexico or in Canada, mostly in his native Ontario province. “My opponent may have changed,” said Sylva who hails from Long Beach, California, “but the result will be the same, I will get the W and continue my path to greatness.”
The first five rounds were all Sylva. The Canadian had no antidote for Sylva’s speed and quickness. He was outclassed.
Then, in round six, it all came unglued for the precocious California. Out of the blue, Bahdi stiffened him with a hard right hand. Another right quickly followed, knocking Sylva unconscious. A third punch, a sweeping left, was superfluous. Jake Paul’s phenom was already out cold.
Sylva landed face-first on the canvas. He lay still as his handlers and medics rushed to his aid. It was scarifying. “May God restore him,” said ring announcer Joe Martinez as he was being stretchered out of the ring.
The good news is that Ashton “H2O” Silva will be able to resume his career. He is expected back in the ring as early as February. As for Lucas Bahdi, architect of the Knockout of the Year, he has added one more win to his ledger, winning a 10-round decision on the undercard of the Paul vs Tyson spectacle, and we will presumably be hearing a lot more about him.
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Usyk Outpoints Fury and Itauma has the “Wow Factor” in Riyadh
Usyk Outpoints Fury and Itauma has the “Wow Factor” in Riyadh
Oleksandr Usyk left no doubt that he is the best heavyweight of his generation and one of the greatest boxers of all time with a unanimous decision over Tyson Fury tonight at Kingdom Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. But although the Ukrainian won eight rounds on all three scorecards, this was no runaway. To pirate a line from one of the DAZN talking heads, Fury had his moments in every round but Usyk had more moments.
The early rounds were fought at a faster pace than the first meeting back in May. At the mid-point, the fight was even. The next three rounds – the next five to some observers – were all Usyk who threw more punches and landed the cleaner shots.
Fury won the final round in the eyes of this reporter scoring at home, but by then he needed a knockout to pull the match out of the fire.
The last round was an outstanding climax to an entertaining chess match during which both fighters took turns being the pursuer and the pursued.
An Olympic gold medalist and a unified world champion at cruiserweight and heavyweight, the amazing Usyk improved his ledger to 23-0 (14). His next fight, more than likely, will come against the winner of the Feb. 22 match in Ridayh between Daniel Dubois and Joseph Parker which will share the bill with the rematch between Artur Beterbiev and Dmitry Bivol.
Fury (34-2-1) may fight Anthony Joshua next. Regardless, no one wants a piece of Moses Itauma right now although the kid is only 19 years old.
Moses Itauma
Raised in London by a Nigerian father and a Slovakian mother, Itauma turned heads once again with another “wow” performance. None of his last seven opponents lasted beyond the second round.
His opponent tonight, 34-year-old Australian Demsey McKean, lasted less than two minutes. Itauma, a southpaw with blazing fast hands, had the Aussie on the deck twice during the 117-second skirmish. The first knockdown was the result of a cuffing punch that landed high on the head; the second knockdown was produced by an overhand left. McKean went down hard as his chief cornerman bounded on to the ring apron to halt the massacre.
Itauma (12-0, 10 KOs after going 20-0 as an amateur) is the real deal. It was the second straight loss for McKean (22-2) who lasted into the 10th round against Filip Hrgovic in his last start.
Bohachuk-Davis
In a fight billed as the co-main although it preceded Itauma-McKean, Serhii Bohachuk, an LA-based Ukrainian, stopped Ishmael Davis whose corner pulled him out after six frames.
Both fighters were coming off a loss in fights that were close on the scorecards, Bohachuk falling to Vergil Ortiz Jr in a Las Vegas barnburner and Davis losing to Josh Kelly.
Davis, who took the fight on short notice, subbing for Ismail Madrimov, declined to 13-2. He landed a few good shots but was on the canvas in the second round, compliments of a short left hook, and the relentless Bohachuk (25-2, 24 KOs) eventually wore him down.
Fisher-Allen
In a messy, 10-round bar brawl masquerading as a boxing match, Johnny Fisher, the Romford Bull, won a split decision over British countryman David Allen. Two judges favored Fisher by 95-94 tallies with the dissenter favoring Allen 96-93. When the scores were announced, there was a chorus of boos and those watching at home were outraged.
Allen was a step up in class for Fisher. The Doncaster man had a decent record (23-5-2 heading in) and had been routinely matched tough (his former opponents included Dillian Whyte, Luis “King Kong” Ortiz and three former Olympians). But Allen was fairly considered no more than a journeyman and Fisher (12-0 with 11 KOs, eight in the opening round) was a huge favorite.
In round five, Allen had Fisher on the canvas twice although only one was ruled a true knockdown. From that point, he landed the harder shots and, at the final bell, he fell to canvas shedding tears of joy, convinced that he had won.
He did not win, but he exposed Johnny Fisher as a fighter too slow to compete with elite heavyweights, a British version of the ponderous Russian-Canadian campaigner Arslanbek Makhmudov.
Other Bouts of Note
In a spirited 10-round featherweight match, Scotland’s Lee McGregor, a former European bantamweight champion and stablemate of former unified 140-pound title-holder Josh Taylor, advanced to 15-1-1 (11) with a unanimous decision over Isaac Lowe (25-3-3). The judges had it 96-92 and 97-91 twice.
A cousin and regular houseguest of Tyson Fury, Lowe fought most of the fight with cuts around both eyes and was twice deducted a point for losing his gumshield.
In a fight between super featherweights that could have gone either way, Liverpool southpaw Peter McGrail improved to 11-1 (6) with a 10-round unanimous decision over late sub Rhys Edwards. The judges had it 96-95 and 96-94 twice.
McGrail, a Tokyo Olympian and 2018 Commonwealth Games gold medalist, fought from the third round on with a cut above his right eye, the result of an accidental clash of heads. It was the first loss for Edwards (16-1), a 24-year-old Welshman who has another fight booked in three weeks.
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